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Streets of Italy
Streets of Italy
Edmond Leong
July 26, 2024
LFI: What fascinates you about Italy?
Edmond Leong: Italy has always been a mysterious country for me; far away from my home in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. When I stepped into the city of Rome, I was instantly shocked by the streets and architecture. It was historic and, since the buildings were so big, I felt like a tiny person in a giant world.
What was life like for you there in contrast to your home country of Malaysia?
Life in Italy is, of course, very different, if only because of the language. In Malaysia it's easy to communicate with people: we talk mostly in English and Bahasa Melayu; when in a family we might communicate in a our mother tongue. During my two-week stay in Rome, I saw lots of people in great fashion, and every street had restaurants, churches and buildings from the Roman Empire.
How did you feel about your role as a photographer on this trip – or did you feel more like a tourist?
Before I travelled to Italy, my Malaysian friends told me not to shoot close-up street photography in Italy, or I might get beat up. Also to protect my camera well, thieves can be everywhere. The first 3 days I was being careful, doing low profile photography compared with what I'm used to. Then I met up with a local Italian photographer, Simone Morelli, and he told me, “Edmond don’t be afraid, you're a tourist, just photograph anything you want”. I kept the life as it happened in Rome as a travel street photographer. Italy is a place greatly photographed by many great artists. So I didn't want to try to compete, I photographed what interested me.
Children are a recurring motif in your pictures...
Having been raised by a single mother, I'm always drawn to moments of children having fun, or spending time with their parents. For me, it was something that I didn’t really experience in my childhood.
Why did you choose black and white for this series – and what did you want to convey with your shots?
Black and white for me means to simply focus on the composition, moment and character of the subject that I photograph. With colour, I feel it can be a distraction sometimes. In this black-and-white series, I want to show care, love, and companion.
Edmond Leong was born in 2003 and grew up in Kuala Lumpur. For the past three years he has spent most of his time photographing people on the street. Among others, he was a finalist in the Youth Category of the Sony World Photography Awards 2023, and bronze medal winner in the Street and Animals Single Category of the Paris International Street Photo Awards 2022.
In his work at Zontiga – a creative space for photography enthusiasts – he gets to know the different perspectives of a diversity of artists.
Katja HübnerEdmond Leong: Italy has always been a mysterious country for me; far away from my home in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. When I stepped into the city of Rome, I was instantly shocked by the streets and architecture. It was historic and, since the buildings were so big, I felt like a tiny person in a giant world.
What was life like for you there in contrast to your home country of Malaysia?
Life in Italy is, of course, very different, if only because of the language. In Malaysia it's easy to communicate with people: we talk mostly in English and Bahasa Melayu; when in a family we might communicate in a our mother tongue. During my two-week stay in Rome, I saw lots of people in great fashion, and every street had restaurants, churches and buildings from the Roman Empire.
How did you feel about your role as a photographer on this trip – or did you feel more like a tourist?
Before I travelled to Italy, my Malaysian friends told me not to shoot close-up street photography in Italy, or I might get beat up. Also to protect my camera well, thieves can be everywhere. The first 3 days I was being careful, doing low profile photography compared with what I'm used to. Then I met up with a local Italian photographer, Simone Morelli, and he told me, “Edmond don’t be afraid, you're a tourist, just photograph anything you want”. I kept the life as it happened in Rome as a travel street photographer. Italy is a place greatly photographed by many great artists. So I didn't want to try to compete, I photographed what interested me.
Children are a recurring motif in your pictures...
Having been raised by a single mother, I'm always drawn to moments of children having fun, or spending time with their parents. For me, it was something that I didn’t really experience in my childhood.
Why did you choose black and white for this series – and what did you want to convey with your shots?
Black and white for me means to simply focus on the composition, moment and character of the subject that I photograph. With colour, I feel it can be a distraction sometimes. In this black-and-white series, I want to show care, love, and companion.
Edmond Leong was born in 2003 and grew up in Kuala Lumpur. For the past three years he has spent most of his time photographing people on the street. Among others, he was a finalist in the Youth Category of the Sony World Photography Awards 2023, and bronze medal winner in the Street and Animals Single Category of the Paris International Street Photo Awards 2022.
In his work at Zontiga – a creative space for photography enthusiasts – he gets to know the different perspectives of a diversity of artists.
ALL IMAGES ON THIS PAGE: © Edmond Leong
EQUIPMENT: Leica M10R, Voigtlander Ultron 28/f2 ii
LFI 5.2024+-
You can find a photo series from Edmond Leong's home country Malaysia in LFI Magazine 5.2024. More
Edmond Leong+-
Edmond Leong was born in 2003 and grew up in Kuala Lumpur. For the past three years he has spent most of his time photographing people on the street. Among others, he was a finalist in the Youth Category of the Sony World Photography Awards 2023, and bronze medal winner in the Street and Animals Single Category of the Paris International Street Photo Awards 2022. In his work at Zontiga – a creative space for photography enthusiasts – he gets to know the different perspectives of a diversity of artists. More
